10 Priority Recruits that BYU Football Fans Should Know

Get to know the priority 2025 recruits on BYU's radar.

Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; BYU Cougars head coach Kalani Sitake speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports / Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

The month of June was an important recruiting month for Kalani Sitake and the BYU football program. The Cougars picked up a wave of commitments after hosting a couple large groups of official visitors. With the football season around the corner, a few more prospects will make their college decisions before their senior seasons. Today, we're talking about 10 recruits that BYU fans should know about.

1. Semi Tualanga - DL

BYU is one of three finalists in Semi Tualanga's recruitment. Tualanga will make his college decision on Saturday (7/27/24), and he will choose between BYU, Utah, and UCLA. He turned down competing offers from from Pitt, Oregon State, Washington State, San Diego State, UNLV, San Jose State, and Charlotte during his recruitment.

Tualanga is a little undersized for a defensive tackle at 6'1, but he makes up for his lack of size with effort, speed, and technique. Tualanga uses his hands to shed blocks much better than most defensive tackle prospects in high school and his pass rushing skills are refined. He had 13 tackles for loss and 11 sacks as a junior.

Tualanga is the kind of defensive line prospect that Jay Hill and staff have been looking for since they arrived in Provo. He would have multi-year starter potential should he choose the Cougars.

2. Nusi Taumoepeau - Edge

In the opinion of this author, Nusi Taumoepeau is the most entertaining in-state defensive prospect in the 2025 class. Taumoepeau plays with an eye-popping quickness off the line of scrimmage. He has the talent to be a great edge rusher at the P4 level.

Taumoepeau will make his college decision on August 1st, his birthday. He will choose between finalists BYU, Utah, Stanford, Cal, and Oklahoma State.

Always a fun time out in Provo! Grateful and blessed to visit Brigham Young University officially! Thank you Cougs! #GoCougs🤙🏽 @WestlakeFootbal @CoachAAle @kalanifsitake @Coach_Popp @CoachJayHill @Pouha91 pic.twitter.com/zL1OO1ddyi

— Nusi Taumoepeau (@nusgotdajuice) June 20, 2024

3. Austin Pay - OL

If you asked me who must-get recruit to get in this class, I would say Lone Peak's Austin Pay. Pay comes from a BYU family. His Dad played offensive line for BYU. His older brother, Connor, is the starting center for the Cougars. His older brother Trevor recently returned home from his mission and joined the program as a walk-on. Austin, however, is the most coveted recruit of the bunch. He holds scholarship offers from across the country and he will have no shortage of suitors.

Austin took an official visit to BYU at the end of June and has not announced a timeline for his decision. The TJ Woods hire was an important one in Austin's recruitment. If Coach Funk was still the offensive line coach, Austin probably would have signed with a school not named BYU. Coach Woods puts BYU firmly in the mix with this one.

4. Aaron Dunn - OL

Offensive tackle prospect Aaron Dunn is the top recruit in the state of Utah. He took official visits to BYU, Utah, UCLA, and Oregon in May/June. He will make his college decision this Summer.

5. McKay Madsen - ATH

The "athlete" label is overused in recruiting circles, but McKay Madsen is the definition of a versatile athlete. He could play running back or linebacker at the college level and BYU agrees - they are recruiting him to play either position in Provo. Madsen was on campus for an official visit in June and he also took an official visit to UCLA. This one looks like a BYU-UCLA battle. He also picked up competing offers from Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, Boston College, and Washington State among others.

6. Siosiua Vete - OL

Siosiua Vete is the first recruit on this list that is already committed to another school. Vete committed to Stanford earlier in the recruiting cycle, but his twin brother Kelepi Vete is a BYU commit. Siosiua joined his brother Kelepi for an official visit in June. If there's one recruit to put on flip watch for BYU, it's Siosiua.

7. Sam Turner - WR

Speaking of flip watch, the Cougars hosted Georgia Tech wide receiver Sam Turner for an official visit after he had committed to the Yellowjackets. Turner is a Georgia native, so it will take a lot to flip him from an in-state P4 school.

8. Stevie Amar - TE

BYU was one of five schools that Amar officially visited. He also took official visits to Cal, Arizona State, Boston College, and Baylor. During his recruitment, Amar picked up competing offers from Texas Tech, Louisville, Oregon State, Washington State, and San Diego State among others.

9. Tahj Crutchfield - DB

Tahj Crutchfield is the son of former BYU defensive back Tony Crutchfield. He has been on BYU's campus a handful of times, and he holds competing offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Louisville, Colorado State, and San Jose State among others.

10. Kingston Keanaania - RB

Kingston Keanaania is a running back from California that BYU offered back in December. BYU already has one running back commit in the 2025 class: Cale Breslin. If BYU is looking to take two running backs in this class, Keanaania would be a candidate as a late addition.